Doomed pub saved from brink as Wetherspoons says ‘clients shall be very happy’

Wetherspoons has confirmed that one of its pubs has been saved from closure at the 11th hour. After more than a year on the market, the Sir Daniel Arms was reported by the Swindon Advertiser to have finally been taken off. But, as a representative of JD Wetherspoon confirmed to The Daily Star, a handful of the budget boozer chain’s pubs remain up for sale.

Located on Swindon’s Fleet Street, the Sir Daniel Arms is understood to have been under offer with contracts even exchanged, but the deal was never completed and now the pub is off the market and set to stay as a Wetherspoons.

Wetherspoon spokesperson Eddie Gershon told the Swindon Advertiser: “We can confirm that The Sir Daniel Arms pub is no longer for sale. The pub will continue to operate as a Wetherspoon. We are certain that both our staff and customers will be very pleased with the decision.”

The news comes at the 11th hour for the pub, with the deal reportedly close to having gone through. Mr Gershon previously told the same outlet: “It is for sale and has been exchanged but not yet completed. It will continue to operate as a Wetherspoon pub until sold.”

But while the people of Swindon will no doubt be delighted with the news, the same cannot be said for a number of other pubs. As was the case with the Daniel Arms, they will remain trading as Wetherspoons until their deals are closed.

More set to follow in the footsteps of 27 other pubs confirmed to have been offloaded in the company’s October statement, a move it reports helped save it some £8.9million.

Some had their freeholds sold while others were returned to landlords. Despite the pubs on the chopping block, its portfolio of around 800 current pubs is hoped by chief Tim Martin to be extended to 1,000 venues.

The Sir Daniel Arms had been listed for sale in September 2023 and then in September this year was listed for a leasehold price of £30,000 with Sposen Grosvenor estate agents.

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